MANHEER'S POV
Pain. Extreme pain.
Where am I?
My vision is blur. I can't see anything.
Amrit? Anaya? Mom?
The sound of "aaah" comes from my mouth when I try to get up trying to figure out where I am when suddenly I touch something.
My vision slowly clears and I-
Where the hell am I?
I was on the center of bed which was covered by curtains from all four sides.
And I?
I was surrounded by flowers and teddies.
Last I remember was that Mom and I were in the kitchen making pudding for everyone and Amrit came.
Flashback
"Manu you sure Amrit will eat chocolate flavored? He never ate puddings of chocolate flavor. He was always a mango boy since his childhood."
"You are joking right? He eats it every time I make and says 'maza aa gaya'"
"Oh my god, Amrit and chocolate pudding? That is like so strange. We forced him so many times but he said it's shi-"
"Mom, Heer, there is an emergency." and Amrit interuptted.
Gaining all our attention towards him he was about to speak when mom said with worry..
"What happened Amrit? Is everything fine?"
"Dad called."
"Abhi? He rarely does that? Something happened?"
"Bomb-blast in Rajasthan."
Mom and I both flinched with terror.
"Hey come here.." Amrit took my arm and me sit on nearest chair.
"Nobody was hurt right?" I asked him.
"Luckily no body was. But I need to leave for Udaipur right now!"
"I will also go with you." Me and mom said together.
"Listen, I am not going to take Heer along. I don't know yet what the situation is and how dangerous it can be. And if I take you along, Heer will be alone here. Without me. Without you. And Anaya herself is a child. Plus point Heer is pregnant. God forbids something happen-"
"Amrit beta shubh-shubh bolo please. Mera dil pehele hi baitha ja raha hai. Vahan Abhi akele honge and tum ye sab bol rahe ho. I will stay with Manu..You go right now. He might need you." Mom said.
(Amrit please speak positive. I am already tensed. Abhi might be alone there and you are speaking all this!)
"Yes mom"
Amrit turned towards me and cupped my face.
"I will come back soon Heer. Take care of yourself and our Bittu. Okay"
I nodded and replied.."I will..You promise to take care of yourself."
"Jo hukum mere aaka."
(whatever you say my lord)
"Amrit pleasee na..no jokes!"
He hugged me and said.."Ofcourse I will baby. I promise."
He pecked on my forehead and the baby bump last time and then left.
"Don't worry Manu, he said na no one was hurt."
"You are saying me not to worry when you yourself are worries for papa." I said.
She sighed and sat beside me.
"Let me tell you something."
Mom sat beside me and took me in a hug.
"I was never meant to marry Abhi. The King."
I looked at mom with giving a questionnaire look.
"Don't look at me like that okay. It was my sister for whom the Queen Pratishtha Shekhawat sent wedding proposal for. My sister was such a perfectionist. She would have been a perfect queen."
"On the other hand I was naive. I didn't know how to reply back to all the rudeness and harsh things. But a tragedy happened."
"A tragedy?"
"My sister.." a tear left mom's eyes.
"Mom it's okay if you feel uncomfor-"
"No its fine..Afterall I never shared my own feelings with anyone after that."
"So on the day of wedding the car in which my sister was about to arrive, its breaks failed and she-"
"We all were in deep sorrow because of our loss, but Queen Pratishtha? She couldn't accept her son sitting alone in the wedding place and said if he stands up unmarried from there, she will ruin us."
"Despite of what we all were feeling, my father was forced to marry me."
"Our feelings? No one cared. My parents didn't loose one daughter that day. But two. But all that mattered was, Raja ki shaan nahi kam honi chahiye. And fact is, none of the citizens cared. They said it was our duty."
Mom's voice cracked and she was crying.
"Mom I am so sorry I-"
"My father couldn't accept all this mentally and he committed suicide. And my mother? After my father's death she had a heartattack and she-"
I hugged mom and she cried a lot.
I didn't have anything to say. She had been carrying all this for so many years.
"But you know what? God knew I was innocent and he gave me Abhiraaj."
"On the night of our wedding he consoled me and said that he will always love me and stand by me no matter what. He said even if I don't consider him as my husband with respect to the circumstances, he will always respect me and would never cross his boundaries."
Mom turned towards me.
"So Manu, yes I get worried for him. He stood by me when nobody was. He is my whole world and I swear if anything happens to him I will-"
"Mom right now you only said to speak positive and see what you are speaking. Come give me a hug."
And I hugged her.
Suddenly the whole palace was filled with a strange kind of smell.
"Manu you stay here, I'll check."
"I'll check in other direction."
Mom nodded.
"Alex?" I called but no reply came.
I went towards the garden and saw there was no guard.
"where are everyone."
The smell grew more and more untill a white gas was seen and everything became invisible.
I could hear mom calling my name but the sounds slowly became unaudible and......"
Flashback ends.
Holding the walls I try to get up.
"ouch..my stomach.." God it's paining so much.
"Bittu please ajj na kar tang please.." a tear came out of my eyes because the pain was too much.
I cancel the plan of standing and sit back. A jug full of water was kept there.
I don't want to drink it since this place is strange but my body asks for something else and I can't resist myself.
After about 15 mins the pain decreases and I stood up.
"Hello! Is someone here?" I knock the door.
No reply.
I keep on telling myself. I am Manheer Kaur Shekhawat. I won't cry.
I am brave enough.
Trying to knock a few more times I stop.
I look around the room and saw there was a baby pink dress kept on the couch.
With a note.
Wear this Love.
"Is this a joke or what?!" I scream as I tear that paper.
Frustration in my head compels me to ruin everything present here.
But I don't know who has brought me here.
I have a baby with me.
Even if I don't protect myself, I have to protect my Bittu.
So I don't touch anything and instead sit on the floor.
With my legs folded to my chest, "Amrit.."
"No I won't be weak. I won't."
Whoever this person is, I won't risk making him/her angry.
My ego of not wearing this dress is on one side.
But protecting my Bittu is my priority.
I can't compromise.
Where on one side even the thoughts of wearing this dress bring the feeling of disgust to my mind.
I can't provoke the person.
Even one push from him/her can result in something I fear.
I pick up the dress unwillingly and go to the adjoining washroom to change.
The washroom is filled with rose petals.
Is this person insane or what?
I wear the pink gown and I am only stunned.
Because how the fuck it is exactly of my size?
Like..even my pregnancy..
I come out of the washroom only to find a muscular man wearing a navy blue tuxedo standing by the window side looking out.
Dangerous. Negative. This is what I felt.
He turned around and his blue-ish grey eyes lock with my black ones.
He comes towards me.
With each step he takes forward, I move backwards.
All his aura speaks is darkness and manipulation.
He doesn't stop.
"Who are you. Stay away from me." I say.
He doesn't reply.
Growing even more close.
I try my best to look around and find something for my defence, but the bloody room only has flowers and teddies.
The water jug. But it is far from me.
"S-stay away I said."
He smirks and I realise I just hit the wall and he caged me by keeping both his arms on either side.
"What do you wan-"
"Shhh.." He cuts me in between and says in a dark husky voice.
"I knew you would look marvelous in this dress. Little one."
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Surprise sohneyo!!
I don't know bas avien hi my mood is tabaaaahiiiii so I thought let's give you a good night update.
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And yes MAIN QUESTION.
How is the new cover art of the story?